1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in an electric food slicer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electric food slicer of this sort usually includes a main body, and a disc-shaped cutter provided on the front face of the main body and connected to an electric motor for rotation therewith. A plate support horizontally projects from the lower end of the front face of the main body. A slice plate is transversely movably supported on the plate support. A food clamp is longitudinally movably placed on the slice plate. The food to be sliced is placed on the slice plate and pressed against the front face of the main body by the food clamp. The slice plate is, then, moved toward the cutter, whereby the food is sliced.
The plate support projecting from the front face of the main body presents undesirable problems in the packing and storage of the food slicer because it occupies a large space or volume. In order to provide a solution to these problems, there has been proposed a food slicer having a plate support rotatably attached to the front face of the main body for rotation into a retracted position adjacent to the main body when the slicer is not in use. However, the other parts such as the slice plate and the food clamp, are not integrally connected with the main body, but must be separated therefrom for storage of the machine when it is not in use. Those parts are, therefore, likely to be lost making the machine useless. The parts are likely kept in a box in a random fashion during storage of the machine. The surfaces of the parts which will be brought into direct contact with the food to be sliced are exposed to dust or dirt; this is a serious problem from the sanitary standpoint. The electric cord is also kept in the box in a disorderly fashion and may interfere with the main body or any part of the machine, causing breakage or other damage thereto when they are taken out from the box.
The electric motor mounted within the main body makes it impossible to wash the latter in water. This presents a problem from the sanitary standpoint. The smell of the food previously cut by the machine is likely to remain in the main body and degradate the taste or flavor of another kind of food being sliced.